Exposed Steel Structure Links The Residence To Its Surroundings

Built on a site which is directly across the street from White Rock Park, the PV14 House sits on one of the highest elevations in the city. The residence was a project by M Gooden Design and offers a total living space of 3700 square feet.

The house is approximately 100′ above the surface of the White Rock Lake and was completed in 2014. It was elevated in order to separate the living spaces from the street and all the traffic and noise. Another reason was to expose the house to the beautiful views.

The architects focused on creating a house that responds to its location and orientation and takes maximum advantage of everything the site offers. This design approach makes it very functional and sustainable and also gives the house a lot of character.

At the same time, an important design choice was not to hide the structural elements of the house. So features such as the concrete floors, the exposed steel structure and modules and the masonry were left exposed.

In total, the residence has three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and a multitude of entertainment spaces, a two-car garage, a large storage room and spacious outdoor areas. A simple concrete-slab walkway leads to the entrance.

Gabion fences frame the walkway on either side. The entrance is placed within the masonry column which divides the entertain area and the port-cochere, which is basically a covered porch-like structure large enough for a vehicle to pass through and which in this case accommodates an outdoor dining area.

The entrance foyer is separated from the entertainment area by two columns. Above, it exposes one of the bridges which connects the two sides of the second story. A glass door opens the foyer to the pool area. The swimming pool is situated in the back yard. It lines up with the masonry column which, on this side, is mostly made of glass.

The ground floor houses a large and elevated entertainment zone. It contains a sitting area that overlooks the back yard, a media room placed at the center and a small kitchen with views of the front yard. The kitchen has a door that leads to the garage and all these three spaces are connected by a long yellow accent wall.

The sitting room is decorated with neutrals, except for the yellow wall we’ve just mentioned. It has a fireplace which offers it a particularly welcoming look and a comfortable and intimate ambiance. A door connects this space to the washroom and the storage room.

The kitchen is placed behind the living room. It’s connected to a hallway which leads, one one side, to the master bedroom and, on the other, to a bathroom and a second bedroom. A large walk-in pantry separates the bathroom and the kitchen workspace.

The third bedroom faces the front yard and it too has its own en-suite bathroom this one featuring double vanities. A staircase next to this bedroom leads to a hallway which has a small sitting area. The staircase leads up to the roof deck.

The roof deck, apart from being a perfect relaxation spot, offers spectacular views and, at the same time, serves as a solar screen that protects the membrane roof below and thus helps reduce the energy cost and extends the life of the roof.

In addition to this beautiful roof deck, the residence also has covered terraces on both the front and the back. Moreover, large overhangs and porches shield the windows from direct sunlight while letting light in and opening the interior spaces to the views.

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